Taking Someone For Granted

Taking someone for granted means……

……not cherishing the things someone does for you…
……expecting everything from someone and not giving the same in return
……never being satisfied with what one has and what one offered, and constantly demand for ’something else’
…… not appreciating a person for who they are
…… wanting them to be someone else
…..and unfortunately, more often than not, people don’t even realize when they are taking someone for granted……at least not until it’s too late.


Every one of us, at some point or another, are guilty of believing that people we care about will always be there for us, and will always be available. Sometimes, this isn't necessarily be so. Our mothers, fathers, family, and friends are the core that we interact with everyday. We must always realize that there are no guarantees that each one of them will be available to us at will. By thinking that they will always be there, we can very easily take them for granted. The good deeds and contributions that they make to our lives can sometimes go by unnoticed.

We casually can mutter a phrase like "Mom's always there", "Anne's a great friend", "Isn't Dad great?" like a programmed response with not a second thought to it. We begin to expect that certain people will “always” be there. We forget to be thankful to them for what they do, for being there, for taking the time to care and unfortunately even begin to neglect the relationship that we have. Many of us have a tendency to put off things we want to say and do until tomorrow without realizing that sometimes we could be run out of tomorrows!

Perhaps one day, out of the blue, the phone doesn't ring anymore, the e mails stop coming in, that familiar voice no longer there,......the person is already gone! At that point of time, we begin to realize just how much we've lost our dearly “someone”. The space that's left in our lives, that was once full, is now empty. Regret starts creeping into our thoughts that maybe we didn't say enough to this particular person, while they were still alive.

Even though it is very hard, and sometimes impossible to change the past, we can certainly change the present. Look around....think about who in your life contributes to your development on a regular basis...and those that you, too, help. "Thank you" is not a very difficult phrase to say...but its meaning to a given person can be tremendous. It's okay to tell people how much you need them, care for them and how much you love them with all your heart. Do it while they're here before its……TOO LATE!